Great Warrior Of Ahimsa

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

Page 29

BABA : At the age of Six when I was moving with my father. He was working with Gandhi in Noakhali, eastern part of India. to establish peace and relief in place of horror, hatred and violence. I also had decided and vowed before Gandhi that it would be my life-long mission to follow his path and to go to establish peace wherever there are disturbances and wars. I exactly remember..... [Recollecting deeply and sentimentally] how happily our beloved Bapu had blessed me at that time saying " Live long and be a brave soldier of Peace". MAJOR : Is it so ? BABA : Gandhi, then unfortunately fell a prey to the hatred of our own people. When I grew old, I became a Peace soldier-a "SHANTI SAINIK" to say in Gandhi's words. I went on wandering in the war-fields with my mission of peace since then... MAJOR : [recollecting seriously) Were you present on the western coast of Europe during the Third World War in the last decade of 20th century ? BABA : Of course, on all war-effected coastal places..... MAJOR : I see... now I remember, my Field Marshal was telling me, probably it was you he was refering to, when I took over from him in 2010 A.D. He was very very impressed by your great adventurous task of saving thousands of children who would not have survived otherwise. [Feels sympathetic and obliged) BABA : .... And your Field Marshal and you went on killing thousands and lacs of innocent delicate & newly-born children of your enemy-nations, isn't it? (Pained mentally also...) MAJOR : Of course, Baba, I realise and confess that our faults were many.... BABA [feeling deeply annoyed] : Faults ? do you call them faults? They were sins, such great sins, unparalleled crimes for which neither humanity nor God will ever forgive you ! MAJOR : But after all these are wars......... BABA : - In which you want your children to be saved and others to be killed....! MAJOR : We can't help... It's the custom of war... BABA : I intend to root out that custom by preventing the wars totally, It is the longcherished and biggest dream of my life. [His pain increases, he lies down, the major helps and sits by his side looking at his wrist watch now and then....] MAJOR : .......But you can't prevent wars. Wars are inevitable since there are differences and disputes and aggressions and injustice in the world...! BABA : Gandhi also worked amidst differences and fought against injustices...! He was also a warrior, a lifelong and brave warrior who fought without weapons and that too against a great empire !... Mine is the humble effort to walk in his footsteps... I have acted accordingly so far... now... now...
(Pain becomes acute and bleeding starts from his wounds... the Major tries to tie a bandage] BABA : Don't mind my bleeding, sir... I am a little happy that I could reach and convey my message unto you.... I'll be extremely happy this war is prevented and my dream. becomes a reality before I breathe my last..So far as my physical wounds are concerned, I am not